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pencil cactus firestick

pencil cactus firestick Buy 'Pencil Cactus - Euphorbia tirucalli Firesticks' Care and Growing Guide

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Description

pencil cactus firestick Buy 'Pencil Cactus - Euphorbia tirucalli Firesticks' Care and Growing GuideIntroducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli Fire Sticks (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red. Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as Pencil

Introducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Fire Sticks’ (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral-like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil-thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red.

Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as “Pencil Cactus” because of its cactus-like form and upright growth habit. It is also known by several other common names, including fire sticks plant, sticks on fire succulent, fire plant, red pencil tree, milk bush, and Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Rosea’.


When exposed to direct sunlight, the tips turn red, which is why they are also called firesticks.

This fast growing evergreen succulent can grow up to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide, forming a thicket of brilliantly colored vertical stems with loose branches.

The unusual stems of this firestick plant, which are as thin as pencils, have a reddish-golden hue that becomes yellow in the summer and red again in the winter.

The pencil cactus flowers boast vibrant yellow, pink, or orange blooms in the summer and spring, making them a true showstopper in any garden.

The pencil cactus is extremely drought tolerant and hard to kill, and as a result, is a great, low-maintenance, easy-care plant for your home or garden.

You can grow your pencil cactus indoors year-round as a houseplant. If planting outdoors, it's best to do so in the spring when temperatures are warm and stable. This cactus grows faster than many other cacti, making it a striking addition to your garden or home.

If you cut your pencil cactus, be careful—the thick, white sap is toxic and can cause skin irritation, burns, or severe eye irritation if it gets into your eyes. While highly irritating, some cultures have historically used it in traditional medicine for treating growths like warts and tumors, though it is not safe for home remedies. Always wear gloves when handling the plant and wash your hands thoroughly if you come into contact with the sap.

When and How to Water Your Pencil Cactus 

This pencil cactus firestick plant can withstand droughts and doesn't need to be watered frequently to survive. Watering these perennial succulents should be done every 3–4 weeks or when the soil feels dry. Let the soil completely dry out between waterings, and if in doubt, give your fire plant a little more time before watering again.  Less water is needed for humid locations and indoor spaces. Pay attention to how the pencil cactus looks and adjust the watering accordingly.

Remember that succulents in the desert can go for weeks or even months without water, so water them sparingly during their rest phase and moderately during their active growing season.

Pro Tip

Most people like to see the red tips that give this Euphorbia tirucalli its firestick name. Note that it is stress that causes the tips to go red. So, the art is to stress the firestick plant a bit, but not too much. So, give it a lot of light and water it less than other succulents, so it is thirsty but not dying of thirst.

Overwatering can also cause the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' tips to turn red, but it can also lead to root rot and other problems. So, if your pencil cactus is not turning red in full sun, it's possible that it's not experiencing enough stress to produce the anthocyanin pigments or that it's receiving too much water.

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Pencil Cactus 

Like most succulents, indoors, the Euphorbia tirucalli firesticks need bright, indirect sunlight to thrive, so choose the brightest area in the house.

Potted indoor pencil cacti require four hours of direct sunlight, which can be achieved by locating them on a sunny south or west-facing windowsill. 

If you are growing these firestick succulents outdoors, make sure that they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.

Partial shade may be tolerated as long as your pencil cactus gets the majority of the sunlight that it needs when it's planted outside. This succulent plant won't thrive if left in the shade for a long time. Its colors become more vibrant the more sunlight it receives.

In order to avoid sunburn, it is preferable to acclimatize your pencil cactus first before moving it outdoors or increasing the amount of sunlight it receives.

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

The firestick Euphorbia is a succulent plant that likes very airy, porous, nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Ideally, you want to use our specialized potting mixGo to soil cactus mix blend 1 gal 4 qt cacti succulent dirt compost growing media that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your Euphorbia firesticks Pencil Cactus to thrive. 

When it comes to fertilizing your pencil cactus plant, it only needs a small amount of fertilizer applied once a year in spring. Cacti prefer a fertilizer with lower doses of NPK, with a maximum ratio of 5-10-5 that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen.

Hardiness Zones & More 

When growing indoors as a houseplant, the Euphorbia firestick can tolerate temperatures between 65 °F and 75 °F. Your Euphorbia firestick plant performs well in temperatures above 30 °F. However, it can withstand temperatures below that, but only for short periods of time.

In the United States, the Euphorbia tirucalli is mostly an indoor plant, but if you live in southern Florida or Hawaii then you can cultivate it outdoors in USDA zones 10 -11.

Growing these pencil cacti in containers is the best option if you live in an area with harsh winters.

By doing this, you can bring your Pencil Cactus indoors during the winter or any time there's a chance of frost or snow. Normal house humidity is fine for this Euphorbia, but it prefers dry conditions. 

Wildlife - Euphorbia tirucalli Attracts the Following Friendly Pollinators

The Euphorbia tirucalli flowers attract a variety of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, with their bright colors and sweet nectar. These pollinators play a crucial role in the ecosystem by helping to fertilize plants and promote biodiversity.

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA, the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' is mildly toxic to humans and pets. It can irritate the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. However, it is safe to touch as long as precautions are taken to avoid contact with the sap. Wear gloves when handling this plant to prevent any potential skin irritation.

How to Propagate Your Pencil Cactus

When it comes to pencil cactus propagation, one common method is through stem cuttings. Simply take a cutting from a healthy pencil cactus, let it dry for a few days, and then place it in well-draining soil. Another method is through division, where you carefully separate the offsets or side shoots from the main plant and plant them individually.

Key Takeaways

  1. The stems of firesticks are as thin as pencils (hence the name) and turn a fire-red in the winter.
  2. Euphorbia Firesticks is a stunning variety that changes color with the seasons, turning bright red or orange tips in cooler temperatures or full sun.
  3. This succulent has a rapid growth rate, reaching up to 30 feet tall when grown outdoors, with a branching, upright form.
  4. During the spring and summer, the yellow flowers bloom in clusters on the end of the branch, usually for just a few days.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the pencil cactus (Euphorbia Firesticks) is a unique and striking succulent plant that adds a touch of elegance to any space. With its slender, pencil-like stems and vibrant green color, this sticks-on-fire cactus can truly be a showstopper. However, it's important to remember that the pencil cactus is not a true cactus but rather a succulent. It requires minimal care, preferring bright light and well-draining soil. By providing proper pencil cactus care, you'll have a beautiful and unique Euphorbia firestick plant that will thrive for years to come. 

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P. Lucas
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
A treasure that desperately needs a reboot.
I love this mouse. I greet it every morning and give it warm caresses as I drink my morning coffee. I catch myself staring longingly at it daydreaming of using it sitting on a beach sipping a drink with an umbrella. I call her Bridgette. Is she perfect? Probably not - otherwise they'd still be a lot more popular. Is she perfect for me? Yeah. She is. So first the bad and then the good: This mouse is big. For folks with normal to big sized hands, that's a win in a world of tiny mice built for Hobbits. If you have the hand size of a large doll could you still manage it? Yes. It's not THAT big. The surface finish is...temporary. Dynamic. Fluid. I think of it more as patina at this point. Most of the painted surfaces (except for the left click button) on mine are still the same color they were when I bought it. I seem to remember a "soft touch" satin coating on the black parts but that has worn off mine years ago. She still turns heads though. Some people say that these mice have reliability issues. We've been together for a good 17 years and she's still going strong. There was a scare recently where her buttons stopped working but a careful dose of electrical contact cleaner in the switches and a few hours rest and she was right as rain. She's not bullet-proof but hopefully will be around another score or so before parting for good. What I love about this mouse is the feel. It's just right. Trackball people are a finicky group and rarely do we find something that suits us to little complaint. The size of this mouse fits me perfectly. All the buttons are where they should be, I don't have to strain and move and fight to make stuff happen. There's enough flexibility in programming the buttons you can set it to do most tasks easily with one click. It's not so complex that it introduces unwanted drama in your life trying to figure out the minutiae of endless setup options. The trackball is perfectly placed. It's far enough forward my fingertips don't have to hunt for it and just enough to the side that I don't have to twist my wrist to reach it. I can swipe easily from one side of the screen (or across screens) without a thought but still have enough control to be precise when needed. All without straining my wrist. I like the action of mouse clicking left/forward/back with my thumb as it's more natural than the thumb-driven trackballs. I either suffer from twitchy thumb or it's just a bad design for precise movement. The right click button is naturally placed just to the underside of the trackball and feels effortless to click with my ring finger. The scroll wheel is small but cushy and comfortable. There are soft indents to the scrolling so it doesn't get away from you. If you prefer the smooth scrolling feel the "cruise" buttons above and below get that done easily. The drag lock button can come in handy if you're constantly copying multiple files back and forth. I generally don't so it's easily remapped in the software. Battery life is really good. I usually go several months on a set of cheap AA's. It has an auto sleep function instead of a power switch which is handy. The nice thing about AA batteries is that you can easily find them anywhere. I think that's one of the main reasons mine has lasted so long. Dear Logitech or any other company that may stumble across this - please bring this model back with a reboot. People obviously loved it and they sell like hotcakes. I've seen used ones go for upwards of $400 now. Surely there's some profit in doing another run of these beauties!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2021
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M. Turner
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Simply the best input device I've ever used
I've been a long time fan of trackballs - most especially and specifically those made by Logitech. About five years ago I started having pain in my wrists from the constant side-to-side motion of using a mouse. I picked up a Logitech Marble Mouse and loved it for years. It instantly helped by wrist issues and I didn't get so strained and hardly ever got soreness. The only thing I didn't like was that there weren't enough buttons. I envied things like a scroll wheel found on regular mice. The thumb trackball was horrid in my thought (all that stress where your thumb meets the wrist; Ouch!) but had the extra buttons I longed for. Then this one came along. Wow. I saw it in the store and I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated at first. Did I need a cordless? Could I get used to moving it with my hand in a slightly different position? And I know I wanted buttons, but woah, there's a LOT of buttons on it! I played with it and daydreamed about it. I finally ended up getting it for my birthday in May 2003. It honestly did take me a few days to adjust to the change (even from one Logitech trackball to another), but now I can't imagine ever going back. The sheer convenience of being able to not only left-click/right-click, but scroll AND easily go Forward and Backward through webpages with a click of a button amazes me everytime. Trackballs already cut down the amount of round-about pointing you need to do by making it much smoother and easier because of less motion required, but this cuts it down way more then that. Some thoughts from other reviews: *Lefties -- I'm sorry, but it really is designed for a right-hander. Like most mice/trackballs on the market today, they aim for the majority. It's usable on short term for lefties (my boyfriend's a southpaw and he can maneuver it, but couldn't really use it every day, day-in/day-out). HOWEVER, a nice option is the Logitech Marble Mouse since it is neither left nor right hand specific. * Cordless issues -- I've had ZERO interference with it and I have a USB Wacom tablet as well as digital camera hookups and other usb items in my usb hub. NEVER a problem. The manual recommends that if you have problems, move the receiver away from the monitor. Mine sits two or so feet away and works perfectly. * Battery life -- WONDERFUL. Mine went for about five months or so on the original batteries it came with. And I am a hard-core user, driving my trackball way over ten hours a day. The program even warns you on-screen that your batteries are getting low. How cool is that? You don't have to wait until things die leaving you without a mouse, wondering what went wrong - it tells you! * Weight of ball -- I have to say that one of the best aspects of the Logitech trackballs is that the ball spins VERY smoothly and easily. It's also not heavy. This sounds weird until you try one of the HORRID Kensington ones which has such a heavy ball that you literally get fatigued fingers from trying to push the darned thing around the screen. It's such a battle with inferior ones whereas, with the Logitech ones, it's easy. I can zoom around the screen as fast as I wish with the slightest touch of my fingertips (*note: the speed and such can also be edited if you like a slower cursor, but it still will have the lightweight Logitech is known for) * Range of Use -- I agree with another user here - this thing has a range that's far more then you'd need. I sometimes use it on my lap and can stand up and control it from several feet away. * Cleaning -- IMPORATANT. Every now and then, pop the ball out (by pushing from underneath) and clean the gunk which gets on the points the ball rests on. It will help keep your ball rolling smoothly. In sum: ergonomic, comfortable, works great and a real Logitech winner. Well worth the cost.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2003
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Stanley Chen
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 3
Great, yet, not so great
I never bother leaving reviews, but this one gave me an opinion that was strong enough that I had to say something. Much like many other reviews out there, a lot of people complain about the placement of the buttons. Actually I think for the most part everything is fine except for the scroll wheel and the default left click. My problem with those two is, if you're using your index finger to use either feature, you have to really stretch your finger outwards to access it. If you tilt the whole device so that it reaches more easily, then the thumb buttons are now at an odd position. I do have to say though, I originally thought that a non vertical hand position would kill my wrist but surprisingly it didn't. It didn't save my wrist either. But creating finger pains isn't exactly a good alternative due to the uncomfortable positioning. Yes I know you can remap the buttons to different functions but that's settling for less as that means you're opting out on using the uncomfortable buttons. A quick little history on my previous devices. I've used regular mice like everyone else before all these problems creeped up on my hands. The most comfortable regular mouse for me is the logitech mx revolution. But eventually using that started to cause pain. I then moved onto the evoluent vertical mouse 3. That mouse is great and I still use it depending on what I need it for. However I recently ordered the zero tension mouse and I find that for overall usage, that one is the most comfortable since your wrist is at its most relaxed state. No twisting of any kind. Not only that, the fingers curl naturally along the device to reach the buttons. Some people palm their mice leaving their fingers straight, but for others with longer fingers it's a bit difficult to use a mouse without curling your fingers backwards a bit to accommodate positioning. What is the whole point of that long paragraph? This trackman doesn't allow your hand to be in a resting state and *may* cause more strain, or a different type of strain in addition to whatever problem you may already experience. While it sounds like I'm claiming that this is the worst pointing device ever, I'm just stressing on the bad points. It's definitely a solid piece of technology. Doesn't feel cheap, the ball is super easy to clean along with the insides where some dust may collect. All the buttons feel solid. Overall it's got heft so that the whole thing doesn't slide around during use. But build quality and maintenance takes a backseat if comfort isn't there.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2010
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Mesa Mountain Gal
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 4
Macho Macho Mouse!
This is the biggest mouse ever! At least the biggest I have ever seen or held. It is more like a large rat than a mouse. It was a bit too large for my petite/medium sized hand (I should have read the dimensions more carefully). I did not like the long cord it came with, and the device at the end of it for wireless capability - not very portable. The lock button malfunctioned and just quit working. The scoll buttons are too close together for me and too small. The ball was nice and smooth, but it did not ease the pain in my hand as I had expected. But I have inflamation issues. If a smaller one were available, it might have worked better for me, but the design/layout of some buttons didn't work for me. I surmise that this mouse works superb for men or women with large hands. But it was just not a good fit for me or my work area, and it malfunctioned. I ended up buying and loving... My husband, who is utterly finickly about his mice, actually found this one comfortable and easy to use. The biggest reasons for a trac ball mouse are 1) it works nicely by my side when laptopping on my bed-top - no need to move the mouse around, only the trac ball. 2) The ball and buttons do not cause inflammation in my hands.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2009
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logodaedaly
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for radiology
I work intensively with computers. In radiology, the number of data points to process quickly is multifarious: dictation software, PACS, and workstations, 4 screens, etc. Volume is also inherently high. I've used this product for two-years and am very satisfied. At times, I was finding wrist fatigue a bit of an issue with the classic two-button mouse with a center roller. My symptoms were nothing serious, just irritation at the end of each day from "clicking". I purchased this roller as a trial, to see if I get any relief. It worked just as I had hoped. I have no symptoms during or at the end of the day. I not will not go back to just a mouse. Build is very comfortable and solid. Ease of use. For me, it is a 5*, but you should know that it does have quite of bit of complexity. As you can see, it has any number of buttons--which I was specifically looking for. I find that these myriad buttons are very functional and easy to use in practice. You just have to map out what are high volume or repetitive motions/keystroke actions. Now I love Macs and their simplicity (and this trackball also works nicely with them), but their mouse is too stripped down for my needs. I am someone who uses keyboard shortcuts whenever possible to speed things up. And again, in my business, speed and accuracy are critical. I already was already maxed-out with mere two-button mouse. This trackball allows me to custom assign functions and keyboard assignments. For instance, page-up and down are assigned to arrow buttons on the trackball. Now when I'm on a website or scrolling through ultrasound exams, I just click rather than moving to the keyboard. To initiate a case dictation is typically alt-8: now this function is tasked to a button on the trackball. Clicking the middle mouse scroll wheel is now assigned to mini-scroll wheel on the trackball. And so on. I worried that the trackball would have trouble interfacing with the programs I used. It essentially had no problem. It was recognized across the board. There has been only one function that still requires a mouse: a shortcut I use for zooming on the PACS is to hold down the option key and spin the center wheel. For some reason I am unable to replicate this function. Because the zooming shortcut is something I use all the time, the mouse stays on my desktop next to the trackball Which brings up another nice feature of this product: it can co-exist with a mouse. I plug the wireless transmitter into the front USB port and leave the mouse connected in back. I can use either device whenever I like. If a colleague comes over to review a case, they never know what to do with the trackball so I just move it out of the way and they use the mouse. If I move to a different workstation, I just unplug the transmitter and move and plug it into the next computer. The trackball will need to be configured as a first-time each time you start on a new computer, but done the profile will remain. There is logitech software that needs to be installed, but all of the mice are logitech, so the software for adjusting the trackball is for me already in place. My productivity is higher and I have less frustration thanks to this device. For not only does the device allowing me to short-circuit and subsume common tasks, but it it simply much faster than a mouse. You can adjust the speed of cursor tracking and you can also embellish cursor movement with an accelerator. With multiple large, high-resolution monitors, this is very rewarding. Everything is faster. When I have to review a case on a colleague's workstation with a mere mouse, I am given a glimpse of how I used to work: the mouse is sluggish and I have to do a lot of wrist movement. Sure, the conventional mouse can itself be accelerated, but you still have the basic fact that you have to keep moving your wrist to cover four screens and to scroll through hundreds of images. I appreciate afresh that I am using a trackball and not a mouse. Lastly, I do have to give high credit to logitech itself. 6-12 months into purchase, the buttons I had assigned to serve as "page-up" and "page-down" were not responding 100% of the time. Sometimes that signals that the AA batteries are wearing out, but even with new batteries the issue persisted. I called logitech and they switched out the device without any questions. Really top-flight service. The replacement is going on strong after 1 year. So in short, if you are considering a trackball, get one. This one is I think the top of the line. If you don't need to extreme functionality, consider the Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse which has fewer buttons but works on the same principle (I actually use the marble mouse at home, because my at-home use is much lighter). I have read about "review mills" that churn out praise or scorn. I find Amazon's reviews to be a great source for separating wheat from chaff. It has a critical mass of users and reviewers. That said, when I was looking for a trackball, however, I did not see a review that was on-point for my niche needs. Hopefully this review will fill that lacuna.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2011

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